


tonight

by sweetsindle



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Cinderella Elements, Collaboration, F/M, First Dance, First Kiss, Grelle wants to go to the fall formal but Stacie is a bitch, Othello saves the day!, Trans Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:01:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24976519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetsindle/pseuds/sweetsindle
Summary: ɪᴛ'ꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɴɴᴜᴀʟ ꜰᴀʟʟ ꜰᴏʀᴍᴀʟ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴘᴇʀ'ꜱ ʜᴇᴀᴅQᴜᴀʀᴛᴇʀꜱ, ᴀɴᴅ ɢʀᴇʟʟᴇ ꜱᴜᴛᴄʟɪꜰꜰ ɪꜱ ɴᴇʀᴠᴏᴜꜱ...ɴᴏ, ᴛᴇʀʀɪꜰɪᴇᴅ.ɪᴛ'ꜱ ʜᴇʀ ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ᴏᴜᴛɪɴɢ ꜱɪɴᴄᴇ ʜᴇʀ ᴛʀᴀɴꜱɪᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴀɴᴅ ꜱʜᴇ'ꜱ ꜱᴡᴀᴍᴘᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴡᴏʀᴋ, ᴜɴꜱᴜʀᴇ ɪꜰ ꜱʜᴇ'ʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴀʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴀᴄᴄᴇᴘᴛ ʜᴇʀ ᴄᴏ-ᴡᴏʀᴋᴇʀ'ꜱ, ᴡɪʟʟɪᴀᴍ ᴛ. ꜱᴘᴇᴀʀꜱ, ɪɴᴠɪᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ...ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪꜱ ᴜɴᴛɪʟ ᴏᴛʜᴇʟʟᴏ ᴏꜰꜰᴇʀꜱ ʜɪꜱ ᴀꜱꜱɪꜱᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ.
Relationships: William T. Spears/Grell Sutcliff
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20





	tonight

**Author's Note:**

> In collaboration with the amazing Lenee!
> 
> HER TUMBLR: https://lovecoreciel.tumblr.com/
> 
> HER INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/h0neybubbles/

**_Tick tock....tick-tock…_ **

Typically sharp, emerald green eyes that could pierce through your soul today were swamped in sorrow. 

It wasn't fair. But of course, when was life ever fair? The afterlife, even? To a reaper such as herself, especially?

Today was the fall formal. And for the first time in what felt like forever, she was going to miss it. And what a year to miss it, too. Her beau, William, was finally interested, after years of trying her best to get him to notice her. 

Grelle Sutcliff groaned, brushing the fiery red hair that had fallen into her eyes after resting her head on her desk for the past hour. 

Getting that email from Stacie Jones, the receptionist, was a slap in the face. Everyone in the office KNEW how important this was to her. She talked about it for WEEKS and even A MONTH before this, ECSTATIC that this was finally her year. 

Everyone finally started using the correct pronouns when addressing or referring to her.

She found out that there was not only a word for people like her but also a beautiful flag. 

She had gotten her transition in the future, thanks to her best friend, Othello.

William T. Spears called her 'pretty' and asked her to the formal.

In lovely, carnation red stilettos, a frilly white top, and some high-waisted dress pants, Grelle skipped down the hallway, several binders and folders in hand, she told everyone about her luck. And everyone seemed to be happy to hear. 

Until this afternoon.

Stacie Jones, the bearer of bad news, the very definition of Dr. Suess's Grinch, the woman that always seemed to have a stick up her arse and eternal anger in her soul, came right up to Grelle's desk and SLAMMED what looked like a million files down and ordered her to complete it. 

* * *

The woman finally sat up straight and pulled out one of those red, ballpoint pens teachers always used to grade papers and looked at the stack, evaluating just how long it would tell her. 

From the moment she was presented with it, she knew her night was over. Just one glance! How on earth was she supposed to complete all that? 

She had already completed like what, thirty or so sheets? There was not even so much as a small dent! What on earth did that bloody woman have against her?

Adding what felt like her thousandth signature, she set another paper to her completed stack. She took another, impatiently tapping her cherry-red, manicured nails on her mahogany desk, taking a second to glance up at her matching red analog clock on the wall, just across from her. 

Taking in a deep breath, she grabbed twenty or so sheets and completed them one by one. - and before she knew it, twelve in the afternoon become six at night...and STILL not finished! How much longer would it take?

Allowing her mind to wander for a bit as she attempted to calm herself down, on the bright side, it started at eight. If she could complete everything...yes, she'd barely have ANY time for makeup or hair, but Grelle HAD laid her scarlet red dress and glittery pumps out, a new handbag, and bracelet and necklace out on her bed before she left for work. 

Hm...perhaps...

If she....no, that would mess up all her hard work...As much as she didn't want to concentrate on something so tedious and anger-inducing, Grelle had been completing the task given to her to it's fullest extent despite her feelings.

Was it really worth having first, work that would be considered top-tier by higher up's standards or merely okay, so she could ACTUALLY leave? 

The woman fought with herself for a bit about the matter for several minutes, not really knowing what to do as she absentmindedly completed at least two more sheets. 

The more and more Grelle thought about just simpy leaving her work and running off, the more guilty she felt. Yes, she desperately wanted to go to the dance and all, but she wasn't about to ruin her reputation because she wanted to dance with her co-worker in a pretty dress. 

After all, there were always more dances. Grelle would just have to wait...as much as she LOATHED the very idea. 

* * *

Slamming her door shut, Grelle collapsed on her couch and laid there for several moments before forcing herself to sit up. While she was working, because she had busied herself so much, she barely had any time to pity herself for her loss...

_WAIT._

She whipped her head around to the clock on her bedstand.... _.' 8:35'..._

**EIGHT-THIRTY FIVE.**

_'Oh, my God...I have time! I'll be late, but I can still make it!'_ Grelle thought with a wide grin, quickly getting to her feet and checking the mirror, nodding as she approved the way her hair and makeup looked. "Not my best, especially because everyone already saw me wearing this today, but it's fine!"

The red-haired woman rushed up to her stairs and practically ran down the hall, flinging the door open so hard she almost knocked it right off the hinges...and froze.

There, in the corner of her room, sat her little white dog, a usually... quite an adorable pomeranian, which she so affectionately named 'Cranberry' after one of her many favorite shades of red, surrounded and covered in...scrapes of red fabric. 

Clenching her fists so hard they turned a pasty white, she gritted her razor-sharp teeth and bared a shaky smile, feeling like she was about ready to bloody EXPLODE. 

Of course, this would happen TO HER. Grelle didn't even have to investigate to see what the hell Cranberry had torn up. She remembered that exact shade of red from this morning when she brought out her dress to look at on her bed. 

The ONE time she had forgotten to put her clothes away, was, of course, one of the most important nights of the year. 

Well, it was whatever. Grelle hadn't expected to go that night, anyway. Tears welling up in her gold-green eyes, she bit the inside of her cheek and stomped away, feeling angry at herself for even getting excited about going that night. 

The woman made her way back downstairs and flopped back onto the couch in the same spot as previously. 

Hypothetically, of course, she could just...look through her closet and find a dress to wear, but none of them were...formal. All of them were much too casual for something like this, and there was no way she could get her hands on a new one! 

Tonight was looking like an eat-your-heart-out and Hulu kind of night, huh? No cuddling Cranberry, though. That little bastard didn't deserve it. 

Grelle sat up just enough to grab ahold of her remote and turn on some shitty Lifetime movie that she had no intention to actually pay attention to. _'What a night this turned out to be, huh...'_

Just as she started to barely pay attention to the TV, she...heard a knock at the door? Everyone she knew was gone for the night...who on earth could be there? 

She didn't really want visitors, especially when she was busy sulking, but it was okay. The woman could just greet them and send them on their way. 

The red-haired reaper got off the couch and struggled with the locks a bit before opening the door and - 

_"OTHELLO?!"_

"Heyyyy, Red! 

Othello Huang grinned widely and grabbed Grelle's hand, practically yanking her back inside, barely giving her any time to shut the door as he half dragged her up the stairs, clearly excited about something. 

"Ow, Othello! What are you doing?! Shouldn't you be with Ronnie? I thought you two were going to be childish freaks or something and rig-"

"Shhhh~ SH! I got a surprise for you!"

"A what now?"

"You heard me! I got it just this afternoon, after a little trip in the future. We're both gonna be a little late, but that's okay! You're going to look AMAZING!" Othello beamed, letting her go at the top of the stairs, doing some jazz hands. 

Grelle stared blankly at the older man before her, cocking her head to the side in complete and utter confusion. "My dear, what now? And...why would you go back there? What's this surprise you're talking about?"

"You'll see! Close your eyes!"

"Huh...?"

"C' monnn! Pleeeeease~?" The green-haired reaper begged, giving the red reaper a poor attempt at 'puppy-dog eyes' before him. "I got it special! Just for you- Ronnie helped a bit, but he wasn't much help-"

"Yeah, I can imagine. He's an idiot."

Othello chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, nodding softly in agreement. "True, true."

Letting out a deep breath, clearly very agitated, Grelle crossed her arms and gave Othello a nasty look, not really knowing what to expect. "What do you want? You can obviously see I'm not in a good mood. Stacie decided to dump work on me, and then Cranberry went off the walls!" She said, pointing to the dog, who continued to chew a scrap of fabric. 

"Well...This was gonna be a birthday present, but after hearing what shit she decided to do, I thought better early. If...that's okay with you. I got shoes, too! A lady at the store helped me! Said with the colors of your dress, they'd look amazing!"

Grelle looked off, not knowing what to say, but hesitantly agreeing. 

Getting this confirmation, Othello fist-pumped in victory, before telling her to, once again, close her eyes, running out of the room and coming back several moments later with something in his arms. 

Setting the pearly-pink shoes down on her bed, he carefully unfolded the dress, and a matching pair of white gloves - setting the gloves down next to the shoes before turning to Grelle. "Okay, I'm ready! Open your eyes!"

Opening her eyes, Grelle hadn't known what to expect. And how could she have? Othello hadn't given any clues- 

Immediately, the woman froze, eyeing the beautiful dress in front of her. Beautiful, delicate-looking frill decorated the sleeves. The sleeves themselves were a dreamy, elegant, rose pink. The rest of the dress...all the colors...they were perfect. Baby pink, an eye-catching sky blue. Glossy, angelic white. They all seemed to melt together perfectly. A ribbon was tied around the waist, ending in a bow in the back...it looked like...It was the flag that represented people like her.

The colors! They were of the transgender flag, wasn't it? 

Blinking, tears pricking the corners of her eyes, she snapped her head to the side and eyed the flag on the wall, that perfectly matched the bow. 

Then...she noticed something she hadn't before. The dress sparkled.

And when she put it on, gown, gloves, pumps and all, she sparkled. To Grelle, she was beautiful. No - she was as radiant as the sun. 

Looking at herself in the mirror, she was breathless. Never had she ever imagined that she'd ever get to have this body in all the years that she'd been alive. That she would ever...

Grelle **cried.**

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Grelle walked into the vast ballroom, seemingly lost in its magnificent beauty. Looking down at all the reapers below, everyone looked perfect. Almost as if she had stepped into a storybook. 

As she walked down the steps, heads turned, and eyes looked to her, seemingly enchanted by the reaper generally in red, now in colors they had never seen her wear before...

From the crowd, came a familiar, serious man - gold-green eyes stern, peach-pink lips always in a pout. Only this time, his pout was a warm smile. 

He offered her his hand, and without a word, the two disappeared into the crowd together, making up their own dance as they went, Grelle nervously holding onto him as he spun her around. 

They met each other's gaze, and Will grinned softly. _"You look absolutely beautiful,"_ he whispered. 


End file.
